21 Gemini Prompts for Stunning Cinematic Photos

I’ve been playing around with Google’s new nano banana image model in Gemini, and honestly, it’s changed how I approach photo editing. The results are genuinely impressive, it handles everything from lighting adjustments to complete visual transformations in ways that feel natural, not overly processed.

If you want to try it yourself, head to gemini.google.com or open gemini app, start a new chat, and attach your photo. Then use any of these prompts. When you’re uploading an image to transform, just add “Transform my photo into” before each prompt.

I’ve tested all 21 of these. They work. Here they are:

Orange Suit in the Rain

An ultra close-up cinematic portrait of a man in an orange suit, standing under warm orange light and soft rain mist, with a serious expression and dramatic contrast. The lighting creates sharp highlights and deep shadows, evoking tension and mystery. Shallow depth of field, 50mm lens, filmic texture.

Sunglasses and Moody Red Light

A close-up cinematic photo of a woman wearing sunglasses, sitting on a couch in a dark room illuminated by moody red and teal light. The scene feels atmospheric and stylized, with dramatic shadows and a soft film grain effect, shot in a wide composition with a 35mm lens.

Silhouette at Golden Sunset

A woman in profile is silhouetted against a golden sunset, her curly hair softly rim-lit by the sun. The background glows with warm amber tones and scattered clouds, evoking a cinematic, contemplative mood.

Short Hair, Sharp Shadows

A cinematic portrait of a woman with short dark hair and sunglasses, lit by strong golden afternoon sunlight casting dramatic shadows across her face. She wears a pinstriped blazer and white shirt, standing in an urban setting with a warm, vintage film tone.

Flannel and Nostalgia

A cinematic portrait of a man wearing yellow-tinted sunglasses, a beanie, layered necklaces, and an oversized plaid flannel coat. The image is softly focused with warm sunset light, evoking a nostalgic, film-like atmosphere with gentle halation and muted tones.

City Lights Through the Car Window

A cinematic portrait of a woman sitting in the back seat of a car at night, her curly hair partially obscuring her face, wearing gold hoop earrings, a checkered blazer, and red lipstick. The city lights blur through the window, creating a warm filmic glow with soft focus and moody highlights.

Golden Hour Street Style

A cinematic portrait of a young man with tousled brown hair, wearing a gray blazer and gold jewelry, standing in front of an urban street scene under golden-hour sunlight. The image features a shallow depth of field, motion blur, and warm film tones, evoking a nostalgic yet modern mood.

Aviators and Teal-Orange Grade

A cinematic close-up of a woman in aviator sunglasses, harsh sunlight and cool shadows, dramatic film lighting, shallow depth of field, 50mm lens aesthetic, teal and orange grade, reflective glass.

Leather Jacket, Golden Hour

A cinematic medium shot of a man wearing round sunglasses, brown leather jacket, and gray sweater, sitting outdoors in warm sunlight against an urban backdrop, soft focus background, golden-hour lighting, filmic teal-orange color grade, 85mm lens look.

Beach Nostalgia

A close-up film photograph of a woman on a cold, empty beach, wrapped in a thick knit sweater and blanket, soft smile, windblown hair, natural overcast light with slight harsh flash, muted tones, visible film grain, nostalgic 35mm look.

Low-Angle Downtown London

A cinematic low-angle close-up of a man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, looking slightly away from the camera in downtown London. The shot is captured from below eye level to emphasize scale, using natural sunlight with soft shadows. The background features modern glass buildings rendered in a shallow depth of field, warm skin tones contrasting with cool urban tones, filmed with an ARRI Alexa Mini and a vintage prime lens.

Building Edge at Daylight

A cinematic low-angle portrait of a woman sitting on the edge of a modern building, wearing an oversized knit sweater and hoop earrings, looking directly into the camera. Captured in natural daylight with soft shadows, featuring a clear blue sky background and cool-toned urban palette. Shot on a Hasselblad X2D with a portrait prime lens, creating a shallow depth of field and subtle filmic texture.

Graffiti Wall, Golden Hour

A cinematic golden-hour portrait of a woman leaning against a graffiti wall, wearing an oversized t-shirt, captured at eye level with side sunlight, shallow depth of field, and warm Kodak Vision3-inspired tones.

Dark Red Sweater, Deep Shadows

A cinematic portrait of a young woman in warm afternoon light, soft focus on her face, golden highlights catching her hair, wearing a dark red textured sweater, leaning against a wall with deep shadow contrast and moody atmosphere.

Studio Minimalism in Orange

A studio portrait of a man wearing an orange knit beanie, amber-tinted glasses, a mustard-colored overcoat, and a white turtleneck, standing against a warm orange background. Even soft lighting and sharp focus highlight modern, minimalist fashion aesthetics.

Wide-Brimmed Hat, High Fashion

A cinematic portrait of a man wearing a wide-brimmed black hat and dark wool coat, lit by warm, directional light that casts deep shadows across his face. The background is softly textured in burnt orange tones, creating a moody, high-fashion atmosphere.

Eyes Closed, Blue Sky

A cinematic close-up side profile of a woman with dark curly hair, eyes closed, facing upward toward the sunlight, captured from a low-angle perspective. She wears a textured deep red sweater, illuminated by warm golden light against a vivid blue sky, evoking introspection and calm.

Dried Flowers and Golden Light

A cinematic extreme close-up portrait of a woman with closed eyes, illuminated by warm, golden directional light. The image is captured from a slightly high camera angle, with soft shadows emphasizing natural skin texture and delicate details of dried flowers near her face, creating a tranquil and emotional mood.

Motocross at Sunset

A cinematic low-angle action shot of a motocross rider in motion, captured at sunset with dramatic orange and pink skies over mountain silhouettes. The rider, wearing dark gear and a helmet, is illuminated by the motorcycle’s headlight, surrounded by swirling dust and backlit haze.

Piercing Blue Eyes, Desert Light

A cinematic close-up portrait of a person with piercing blue eyes, wrapped in dark fabric, partially covering their face. Subtle tribal-style markings line their cheeks. Captured from an eye-level camera angle, the soft, diffused desert light enhances the contrast between cool eyes and warm tones in the muted background, evoking mystery and strength.

Neon Noir on City Streets

A cinematic close-up side profile of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and dark overcoat, captured at night on a city street. Neon lights in purple and blue hues glow softly in the blurred background, casting subtle reflections on his coat. Shot from an eye-level angle, the image conveys a mysterious, film-noir mood.

These prompts are just a starting point. The beauty of working with Gemini is that you can tweak them based on what you want. Change the colors, swap out the settings, adjust the mood, the model responds well to customization.

What used to require hours in editing software or expensive equipment now happens in seconds. Your photos can look cinematic without needing to be a professional cinematographer. I’d say pick a few prompts that match your style, upload your favorite photo, and see what happens. You’ll be surprised at the results.